History and Location of Dickinson’s Mill
Other Names: Possibly Blades Mill
Years: Unk
Structure Exists? Mill dam ruins in Fowling Creek
Historic Site Location Precision: 50 meters
John F. McGrain wrote in The Molinography of Maryland, Expanded, 2007 Edition for Posting Online at the Maryland State Archives :
Ruins of a mill dam survived on Fowling Creek Branch on Wiltshire Manor and have been identified as either a Blades Mill or Dickinsons Mill by Mrs. Clara Mitchell of Preston, October 17, 1967. This land at Grove near Preston had been owned by Henry Dickinson and several generations of Isaiah Blades heirs.
Lidar Reveals Dickinson Mill Dam Ruins
We used State of Maryland Lidar elevation data from aircraft flown in Winter 2013 / Spring 2014, while no snow was on the ground and rivers were at or below normal levels.
Lidar elevation data is precise enough to show ruins of a mill dam in Fowling Creek near the Wiltshire Manor site.
Lidar, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth. These light pulses—combined with other data recorded by the airborne system — generate precise elevation maps. [NOAA].
Dickinson’s Mill in the Historic Landscape
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More About the Location of Wiltshire Manor
The Dickinson plantation, Wiltshire Manor, was located east of the intersection of Harmony Rd. and Auction Rd. At the corner is a historical marker and the tomb of Caroline County native Charles Dickinson. The tomb was discovered at the Wiltshire Manor site and moved to its current location in 1965.
Charles Dickinson Tomb Inscription
Born here on Wiltshire Manor in Caroline County in 1780. Moved to Foxley Hall, Easton on 1795. He read law under Judge Marshall. He met Andrew Jackson traveling across the Eastern Shore to the United States Congress. He moved to Nashville Tennessee. Killed by Jackson in a duel May 30, 1806 in the Red River Valley of Kentucky. Body returned here by Truxton faithful Negro servant. Lead casket found 500 yards east of this spot Dec. 1, 1965.
The exact location of Wiltshire Manor is revealed by an announcement in the Denton Journal, 18 Dec 1909 , that the original Dickinson manor house on the Hubbard Farm near Grove was to be torn down.
For more than a century, this house stood conspicuous among those of the country round for its commanding elevation on a pretty knoll rising in that generally flat country, and also for its quaint style of architecture.
It was built by the Dickinsons, who a century ago owned hundreds of the sorrounding acres. The foundations walls that support the massive timbers of the frame are over two feet thick. The rooms are spacious and high pitched, and the beautifully carved woodwork and mantels would be a treasure to the antiquarian.
1875 and 1897 maps show Hubbard farmhouse that was the site of Wiltshire Manor.
Other Historic Grist Mill and Sawmill Sites Caroline County
See the larger map of Sawmills and Grist Mills in the Historic Landscape of Caroline County, Maryland with historical and imagery basemaps.
See our Choptank River Heritage Sites Research map application for the geographic locations of all documented sites. These sites can be viewed over a variety of topographic, satellite and aerial imagery, and historic basemaps.
Many of the historic sites are described in detail here in the CCHS web site. Use the website search box above to find pages and posts for sites by name.